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Written by Maliq Hicks
With “Democracy Day” upon us, and a month and a half from a historic election, let’s take a step back and observe the future of our democracy. What are the young people saying? In light of “Democracy Day”, through this article, I’m calling the “seasoned voter” to learn and consider how they can best look out for the future of this nation’s democracy. I asked a few teens a simple yes or no question. “If you were allowed to vote in this year’s election, would you, and why?”
This article examines the opinions of the up-and-coming voters. Included are bits and pieces of what adults could learn to help motivate the future of this country to participate in their own democracy. How can we urge our youth to not only participate in democracy but also participate in a wise manner?
“If you could vote in this election, would you, and why?”
Anonymous high schooler.
“No. I’m not educated on the topics that the candidates are talking about. I don’t want to vote for either of them if I don’t know who they are as a person. I don’t want to vote just to vote.”
Takeaway: Here, we’re looking at someone who doesn’t want to vote blindly, but wants to vote with a motive. I’d encourage all adults to help the leaders of tomorrow not only be informed of what exactly they are voting for, but also help them learn how to inform themselves. If we don’t do just that, not only do we risk having a lack of voters because they are deprived of motivation to get to the polls, but we also risk the alternative of having voters who don’t know what’s at stake once they cast their ballots. In response to the quote above, if there is anything we can learn from our soon to be voters on how to encourage them to vote, it’s that we need to educate them on the policies at bay, and conflicts on the forefront so they can know what exactly a candidate does or does not support. They want to know exactly what they’re voting for. Educate them.
Saumya, 17
“Yes. I feel like there’s a lot at stake in this election. I feel like most people are thinking about it as Kamala vs Trump, which is valid, but there’s also the aspects of what will happen depending on who’s in office. After getting to skim through ‘Project 2025, I saw some of the insanity that could become reality and that thought alone freaks me out because a lot of the plans (in Project 2025) could directly affect me and others in many ways, so if I had the power to change that I’d take it in a heartbeat.
Takeaway: This sentiment, should encourage adults with voting experience that want to empower the youth. The goal should be to unlock a motive within them that is similar to this, no matter who they’re voting for, or whatever may be at stake. In summary, lock in on getting the youth to see the consequences of the results of an election and all the factors that are attached. Instead of saying “Vote Harris”, or “Vote Trump”, slide instead to “Vote Harris, because…”, or “Vote Trump, because”, and let your supporting reason be constructed out of truth, reason, and integrity.
Marquis, 15
“Yes. Because every vote matters”
Takeaway: What seems like a rather cliche statement could never be more true. Every vote does count, and the experienced voter should instill this attitude into the young voters around them. If we establish this idea as a collective, then the more impactful our waves will be felt.
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Grady, 16
“Yes. I just want to add my opinion”
Lexavier, 17
“Yes. I mean yeah, if you have the privilege to vote you should use it by any and all means necessary. That’s not something I would give up.”
Takeaway: I clumped these two together because they highlight the privilege of democracy.
It’s best that the youth is taught to know the value in the ability to cast their opinion. Minority or not, such a privilege is something that was fought for. Encourage them to take pride in the democracy that not everyone has the privilege to be a part of. Reminding our up-and-coming voters of their right to choose is a prime motivator. Where we can further lead them is teaching them how to cast their opinion with intention and informed decision-making.
Connie, 17
“Yes. Voting is very important, especially for someone like myself. From the background that I come from, to the people I surround myself with, voting will help my community (minorities) and my household (low-income). That being said, I would vote because it’ll benefit me in the long run (if whoever I vote for wins of course).”
Olivyah, 17
“Yes. Because my voice matters, and honestly, this is an election that’ll go down in history. Why not ensure that I’d have a say by voting?”
Takeaway: These responses are tremendous. To grow more minds like this, let’s remind the future voters that they have the ability to take matters into their own hands and change what directly affects them. Not only does that include the president, but let’s let them know that there’s more than just presidential matters they’re handling at the polls. There are various other matters to vote for on the ballot when they will go to the polls, and those are matters that could directly affect them. Sadly, that piece of info flies under the radar to young ears more than expected, but that can be changed when they are actually notified of such things.
So what did we learn?
In an article filled with the word yes in response to our burning question, you may be led to think that the youth doesn’t need much influence on voting. You may be led to believe that they actually are on the right track, and- that’s not entirely false. But as we saw at the beginning, there is always someone on the flip side, and with the plethora of “yes” responses that we got, those are important to take into account because now we know what works. From the voices of the enthusiastic voters of tomorrow, we know what motivating factors contribute to their interest in voting. Those same factors could also contribute to getting the unmotivated young people motivated and in line at the polls in the future.
This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org.
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